Shock-absorbing device.



7 L. A. PB GKHAM; I SHOGK ABSO'RBING DEVICE.

APPLIOATgWNfILED DEG. 1909. r I

' Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

2 SHEETS-HSEEET 1.

v l/WE/VTOR Luther A. F'eckfiim ATTORNEY l L A. PECKHA'M. SHOGK ABSORBING DEVIQE. APILIOATIQN FILED 1313113. 1909.

[Patented M r; 7,1911

SHOCK'ABSORBING DEVICE.

LUTHEB A. PEfJKHAM. OF EDGEWOOD. RHODE ISLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

*utented Mar. 7, .1911.

Application filed December 3. 1909. Serial No, 531,140,

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, Lt'Tii-ign li-ir-numl. citizen of the United States, residing at Edgeivood. in the. town of (.ranston. in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful i Improvementsin Shock-Absorbing Devices,

' of which the following is a specification,

reference being had therein to ,the act-onipartying drawing.

This invention relates to spring controlling devices for automobiles and other vehicles, and has for its object to provide a .device of simple construction to assist in absorbing the shocks and jars which are iu1 parted to the vehicle springs, particularly while riding over rough roads, so that as these sprin s are being compressed the frictional resistance of the device will increase.

which resistance gradually diminishes, causing the body to return to its normal level without sudden 'IBCOll or rebound, thus eliminating the shocks and pars ordinarily transmitted to the passengers where the spring is-free to act uncontrolled. By this construction. of shock absorber I am enabled to mono t the body on very light and resilient springs causingthe vehicle to ride withgreat ease, and'by providing such an auxiliarysnpport for the springs, when they are called upon to withstand severe stra ns, the

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel-features of construction, as will be. more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims; I

In the accohipanying d 'awings: Figure .l--- is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating my improved shock absorber as attached to the spring and the friction band arm being connected to the frame of the vehicle. Fig. 2- is'a plan view, partly in set-.- tion, of the body of the device. Fig. 3--is a top View of the end of the brake band arm showing the slot through which the connet tioiis inserted. Fig. 4- is a sectional side elelv tion of the drun'i' and one form of floeated therein. Fig. 5-- is a per-. ive view 'of'the front face ofth'e frlc- 'band-iplate, illustrating the plurality :danger of breakage'is practically eli ninated 'elined ot' inclined planes or surl'zu-es l'ornuallhere on. Fig. 6+ is the rorre poiulin 'ly in lined tare of the outer fixed plate. l in. 7" i a Inodthed :n'|'un; je|1u-ul of mounting the stock 'tllJSUl'l'ltl' body whereby the same is suspended by two tll'llls between the l'rnnu: and the spring base. Figs. H and 9 show a ratchet and pawl arrangement instead of the roll clutch illustrated in'l ie'. .1. Fig". l0- is a partial sectional side elevation illustrating a. modified form. whereby a plurality of frivtional dis'ltsare employed. Fin. ll-----is a sectional plan view on line l2--l2 of Fig 10. Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate the movable and fixed friction disks respectively. Fig. 1 lis atop view of the outer end of the band arm 6 1 illustrated in Fig 8, showing the opening through which the connecting rod 25 adapted to Work.

Referring to the drawings, the device embodying the present invention is shown as applied to an automobile, 1 designating a portion of the frame or chassis thereof, and 2 a portion of one of the springs which is secured to the vehicle axle in a manner not shown. the spring being preferably directly connected at one end 3 to the frame. Fin. 7 the opposite end being connected by a link or other suitable means, not shown.

, The shock absorbing device comprising essentially a body portion 4. is preferably irtade in the form of a circular drum which.

asillustratell in Fig. 9. is rotatably supportedtlireet from the stud 11 by means of the' pla-te 5." Tliis'dr in is provided with a tapering frictional engaging: surface 7 on which the friction ha id 19 is mounted, the i-nnersurfaoe ofsaid band being. correspondingly tapered 21. This band also has a. plate 10 integral with orotherwise secured to it and extending downward substantially to the pivot stud 11. The face of this plate/is provided with a series of" segmental steppedin or inclined surfaces 8. An independent plate 5* is also provided With segmental in surfaces -9 correspondinn to and adapted to register with those on the face of plat 10. This plate 5 is keyed at 1410 the stud 11 so that it is held against rotation but may receive a. slight endwisemotion on said stud. This plate fi is yield'ably pressed against plate 10 bv means of the spring 40' which spring is adjustably held in position by the nut 41. The projection 13 on stud 1]. fits into a corresponding socket in bracketv 12 to prevent rotation of said stud. A

ratchet wheel 42 is keyed at 12 to the stud and a pawl 43 is pivoted at 43 to the drum 4 so that said drum is permitted to rotate in but one direction.

In operating a device thus constructed it will be seen that as the ar1n-64 descends, due to the compression of the vehicle springs, the drum 4: is rotated to the left (looking at- Fig. 8). The cams on the face of plate 10 (which is also rotated) ride up on the corresponding cams on the faceof plate 5 (Fig.

9) causing the latter plate to move late'ally on its key H against the spring 40, the increased tension on said spring setting the inclined surfaces of the friction band and drum harder together. The only resistance to this downward stroke is the riding of the cam faces on plate 10 up onto the cam faces of plate 5 thereby causing an-iucreased friction against rotation due to the in creased tension onsprmg 4C0. hen the vehicle. rings re-act the-arm (34 .connnences to ascend: the pawl 43 preventing the backward motion of the drum and the hand is therefore obliged to work on the inclined surface thereof, the maximum resistanceheing exerted at the commencement of this upward stroke due to the extra tension of the spring 40 through the cam plate 5 forcing the inclined-surface together. .As the arm now rises the resistance is gradually decreased until when in its normal position the friction between the band and its drum is at, its minimum.

By the above it will be seen that there is a slight resistance to the downward stroke but. that the maxinunn resistance is applied at the very beginning of the upward stroke and diminishes gradually until the normal position is reached, which varying resistance is produced through the action of the co;

operating segmental cam faces on. plates 5 and 10. This varying resistance is only incidental so far as the ram plates 10 and 5 are concerned. the real resistance being produced by the co-aotion of inclined surfaces 7 and 21 that is, between the drum and the friction hand. because the ri-ilat-ionship of these latter two members is varied according to the .relative positions of the cam plates 5 and 10.

It is to he iuu lei'stood that the object of my invention does not include any intention or desireto present any resistance to downward movelnent'of the vehicle body, but to retard upward movement. My improved device'is so constructed that the lower the point to which the Vehicle body moves the greater will be the resistance to the upward moven'ient at. the beginning thereof. that resistance gradually decreasing as the vehi- 'cle body reaches its normal position.

\Vhile the structure. illustrated in 8 and 9 shows the clutch mechanism as |nclud ing pan'ls, it is to he understood that instead of pawls the type of roller clutch illustrated in Figs 1 and 4: could be and preferabl is employed. Said clutch comprises a disk member 15 mounted on and fixed to the stud 11, preferably by means of a key 16, rolls 1'? being mounted in suitable tapering recesses 18 in the disk, the said rolls being adapted to bite in the usual manner against the inner wall of the drums.

I The friction band 15) may be provided as shown in Fig. 3 for retaining grease "or other lubricant said arm being slotted at 23 at itr's outer end for the reception of the ball end 24 of the connecting rod A cap 26 is adapted to be screwed on to this outer end to retain the connection in position. A thin flexible cover 21' of leather'or other suitable material may be placed over the aperture to exclude dirt or other foreign matter. A. bracket 38 attached to the frame 1. is also provided with a grease retaining chamber 251 slotted at its lower portion at 30 to admit the ball end ill of connection 25. Both of these chambers are also provided with suitablethrust blocks or; and in which the hall heads receive their hearings. A cap 32 is adapted to screw on to this member 25) to retain the connection in position.

A feature of this particular construction is that the connecting rod is provided with a channel 33 throughout its length and an other at Zl-l longitudinally through its lower ball end 9st. whereby in addition to lubricating the upper ball head hearing by means of the grease cup :35 grease may also be forced through said connecting rod into chamber 236 to lubricate the lower hearing, thence through the hollow arm 22 into the connecting annular grease retaining chamber 37. it desired. although lubrication .may be supplied to this latter (liiiililit't and also through the hollow arm' to the chamber 30 by mean of the grease cups if desired. .l do. not wish to be restricted to inserting these blocks from the side of the hearing as the-same may be inserted from the etid of said bearings. see. Fig. 8. in which case I wonld provide a nut (37 for retaining the friction blocks in position. and the ball ends of the connecting rod 25 would be attached to the rod proper by means of screws 68, as illust rated in Fig. 1, to facilitate the posirenient in practice to graduate as at M'tlie outer face 4511f theplate .5 and to attach a finger or pointer 46 to the nut 41 by which In the construction of my improved de vice I do not restrict myself to obtaining the frictional resistance by contact of the friction band with the periphery of the I drilm, as this friction may be obtained by other means. One practical construct-ion with an outwardly extending hollow arm 22' tioinngof the same/ Ttis also found conten to indicate. the tension so that each of a set of these devices may be uniformly ad usted.

I rotatahly mounted tl'lrough their plates 49 for obtaining this result is the employment of aplurality of contacting friction disks, as illustrated in Figs. '10 and 13 inclusive, in which l? designates the outer friction hand and 48 the drum, both of which are and 50, respectively, on the central, -:%tud 51. The eerie-z of dicks :32, see 55, .1 and 12, are preferably provided. with. a plurality of outwardly extending .lteys 53 a dapted to fit into corresponding,hey ways 5% inthe in terior oi. said drain 48. These disks are; :uiounted Within said drunr and arrang i alternately with al'lother set of disks -a, each of the latter being provided."with"inwardly turned keys 5t: adapted to engage, corresponding grooves in the stud 51.

In orderto arrangelthe drum that-hit will be actuated in but one dirccion upon the reciprocating motion of the friction band .l. have formed the periphery oli said drum into a. roller clutch by providing therein a plurality of slots 57, in whiclrrolls 58 are loosely mounted to operate similar to a. ratchet to aut maticallyrounrct the drum with the hand as the vehicle body rises.

lint order to regulate and: control "thee amount of frictional resistance so that the maxin'mm will. he exerted as the vehicle body star to rise from its lowest position, the plate of the drum 48 and the plate 49 of the hand l7, are each supplied with a series of co-acting inclined surfaces Similar to thosse illustrated in Fi a. 5 and 6," the nut 59" through the spring 59 serving to prevent an outward lateral motion of the plate 4d) of the friction hand on the stud 51. By this construction each downward motion of the hand arm 60 serves to slide the inclined planes on the inner surface of plate Prof Rllltllltlfltl over those ofithecorresponding sau'face of plate 50 on the drum, moving said drum laterally inward on thestud fil and crowding the frictional snrfaceaof the re apcctire plates together, the greater the druriuward stroke the greater the frictional plOHHH-WE' on said platen, which pressure is gradually removed as the vehicle body rel'ou'urd in; normal level, lln Figs. l ir'u-lneiw the atrur tureie such that the friction drum member in tree to move f c'rlhcr with the hand as the body deawnda and the vehicle springs are coon ")rc:- rill Fri tional action between. said hand and drum taking; pla e only on'liho upward movement oi llu= body and this frictional] resistance diminishing from its i'l'iaxin'lum, at the l'mginninn' or" ouch u 'iward movement, to the normal position olthc partsu lily improved shock absorberinay be at lat-he l to an mitomol lcor other vehicle in the manner illustrated in Fig.1, if desired,- '11 its poailiou may he reversed havin the hotly portion carried on an vehicle raineand the arm connected to the spring, or the there are four employed. one to act in con junction with tfltll splin ll the employment of the tension indicating mechanism the extent of adjustment may be visibly indicated by the pointer thereby readily cnabling each of the not to be adjusted to operate under a given tension and by the 'eu' ploymcnt of a clutch or ratchet the drum portion is caused to rotate intermittently or at each downward stroke of the friction hand, thereby equally distributing the wear around its working surface. l

An import-ant feature "of my improved constrlurtion is the employment of co-acting nut-faces hat'in'g inclined planes or ca1nehaped faces whereby my improved shockabsorbing device dS adapted to autolnatirally set the frictional surfaces more tightly togctherduring its downward stroke,;whereby the greateet ,(t'riotional resistance will act on the vehicleepring when most compressed or in pa n to exert its greatest power, antl"'*'a'lso to rel'eae the spring and permit the same to act with its minimum resistance while in its raided or normal petition, but

I dwnotwisih to he -restricted to the particular construction shown and described of inclined planes or nurfaces for this pur 'msc, as anyarrangement of helix. Hcrcw n1 cam may be cn'lployed to accomplish this result without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1.. A. shock absorber having'two cooperating; friction meml'iera, means for connecting ill] them ree 'lectivcly to two relativelymovable parts of a vehicle, means for varying the frictioinil engagement of said members, and.

clutch niecl'ianisin for permitting a, relati cly free movement of the vehicle body in one direction and for presenting it gradually decreasing frictional resistance to movement of the body in the return direction.

2, In a shock absorber for vehicles, a no tatable n'lemher, a friction hand engaging the periphery ot'v said member, clutch devices loflcontrollingthe movement of said member, and means for automatically decreasii'ig the frictional resistance between,

said member and band, as the vehicle body rises, the clutch devices pfill'lllllllillg a rela tively'l'rcc downward movmncnt of said 'body, as so forth.

mitting a relatively free downward movement of said body, set forth.

l. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a rotatable drum, clutch devices within said drum for controlling its frictional resistence against rotation, a bond engaging said drum, said band and said drum constitutingtwo. cooperating frictional elements,

the former being connected to the spring supported vehicle body and the latter supported from the base, said clutch devices permitting said drum to turn only as the body descends, and means for causing the drum as the body rises. v

5. A shock absorber forvehicles comprising a rotatable drum, clutch devices within said drum for varying its frictional resistance against rotation, a bend around said drum, seidclntch devices and said band being connected respectively to different reletivcly movable parts of the vehicle, said clutch devices intermittently connecting said drum to its operative movable pm of the vehicle, to move the drum es the vehicle body vibrates vertically on its springs, and means for greduelly diminishin the frictional resistance ofthe frictional means as the springs withdrew from their depressed position. t

6. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a rotatable drum, two co-ztcting friction members, s band around said drum, one of said friction members and said bend being attached respectively to difierent relatively movable parts of the vehicle, clutch devices for intermittently operating the drum as the vehicle body vibrates vertically on its springs, and means for gradually diminishgradunlly decreasing frictional resistance on escpsz gradually diminish the frictional resistance of said members as the body rises.

8. In it shock absorber-for vehicles, a re tstable member having a bevel peripheral face, a friction band engeging the peripheryof said member, clutch devices for controls ling the movement of said member, means for automatically permittingsaid member and band to withdraw from. each other whereby the frictional resistance between them is decreased as the vehicle body rises, said clutch devices permitting apreletively free downward movement of said body, as set forth.

9. In a shock ebsorber. for vehicles, a. 1'0.- teteble member having face, a friction bend engaging the peripher of saidmomber, clutchdevices for control ling the movement of said member, one or more come for automatically permitting said member and band to withdraw from each other whereby the frictional resistance between them is. decreased .as'the vehicle body 'rises,.seid clutch ,device's permitting a rela-' tively free downward movement of said body, as set forth.

- In testimon whereof I ailix my signature in presence 0 two Witnesses.

i LUTHER A. PEGKHAM.

Witnesses:

IIOWARD E. BARLov E. I OGDEN.

a bevel "peripheral 

